Hungarian pianist Csaba Kiraly will present the Beeville Concert Association’s first concert of the new year Sunday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m. in the Gertrude R. Jones Performing Arts Auditorium.

The internationally acclaimed musician is returning to the United States after an outstanding performance last year for the Corpus Christi Chopin Society. Because native Beevillian Philip Young is a member of that group, he was able to arrange a Beeville concert for Kiraly during his second Texas tour.

All students through high school age are admitted free to the concert, as are Coastal Bend College students with their photo ID’s. Other adults will pay $7 at the door if they do not hold BCA season membership tickets.

Kiraly was born at Komlo, Hungary, in 1965 and began learning the piano at age 6; at 12 he began to study the organ. From 1981 his studies were continued at the Bela Bartok Secondary Music School in Budapest, and in 1983 he gained admission to the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest.

During his student years, he won first prize in all national competitions organized for his age group: 1980 - National Piano Competition for Music Schools; 1982 - National Piano Competition for Secondary Music Schools; 1990 - Erno Dohnanyi National Piano Competition. In the meantime, in 1985 he won the first prize in the National Piano Competition of the Hungarian Radio, being one of the youngest competitors, as a result of which he became known throughout the country.

After several years teaching and concert giving, he undertook to play in competitions again, and was first prize winner at the “Ennio Porrino” International Piano Competition in Cagliari 1996 (Italy), and the New Orleans International Piano Competition 1997.

Since his student years, Kiraly has given concerts regularly both as pianist and organist and his exceptional talents have made him a popular young artist. Beside his solo recitals, he often plays chamber music, or appears as continuo or orchestral player. He has appeared in concerts with about 30 famous orchestras and conductors.

He has had concert engagements in nearly all European countries as well as winning great success in Japan, United States, Canada, South Korea, Egypt and India. His repertoire covers a wide range from the Baroque to contemporary music. Besides performing works by Bach, Beethoven, Liszt and Bartok, the latest modern compositions also play a prominent role in his concert programs.

Kiraly’s name is linked with the Hungarian premieres of piano concertos by Lutoslawski and Ligeti. In 1993, he was awarded a diploma for distinction in playing Hungarian contemporary music..

Since 1995, he has been teaching piano at the Academy of Music in Budapest, and regularly gives international master classes in Hungary, Netherlands, France, United States and Japan.

Between 1997 and 1998, he was a guest organ teacher at the Taegu-Hyosung University in South Korea. Since 2002, he has been an honorary teacher of the Martyn Ferenc Free School of the Arts in Pécs. Between 2004 and 2007, he was the director of the Music Institute of the Musical and Visual Art Faculty at the University of Pécs, where he currently teaches piano and organ as associate professor.